Showdown in Storrs: Friars Face UConn Tonight - Here’s What to Know
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
The No. 20/18 Providence College Men’s Basketball team will square off against the No. 18/23 UConn Huskies at 6:30 PM Wednesday night in Storrs.
In January, the Friars handed the then No.4/5 Huskies an upset in Providence, 73-61.
The Friars are currently 20-7 overall and 12-4 in the Big East conference; the Huskies are 20-7, and 9-7 in the conference.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPC currently sits in 2nd place in the Big East behind Marquette; UConn is in 5th.
Friar Tid Bits:
*PC is 8-0 in BIG EAST home games this season - it marks the first time ever the team has been 8-0.
*The Friars are 5-5 in road games this season, including 4-4 in BIG EAST action.
*PC is ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll. It's the team's seventh week in the polls.
*PC is 2-1 in overtime games this season with both wins (Marquette and Creighton) coming in double OT.
*Bryce Hopkins earned his 2nd BIG EAST Player of the Week honor on 2/20 after averaging 19.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg.
*Hopkins is a candidate for the Naismith POY, the Oscar Robertson Award and the Karl Malone Award.
*Ed Croswell scored 21 points vs. Villanova (2/18) to reach 1,000 for his career (143 games).
*Friar point guard Jared Bynum returned versus Butler on 1/25 after missing four games with a torso injury.
*The Friars are 15-0 at home this season, 36-1 in their last 37 games at the AMP and 619-236 (.724) all-time.
*PC's 73-61 win over No. 4/5 UConn on 1/4 was the team's first victory over a top-5 team since March 9, 2018.
*Hopkins leads the team in scoring (16.9) and rebounding (9.3) and is is averaging 21.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in his last four games.
*PC has posted a 130-276 (.320) mark all-time versus top-25 teams, including a 3-2 mark this season.
*PC was 20-20 from the free-throw line vs. St. Louis (2/20/22), which was second best all-time for PC.
*The Friars are 705-307 all-time versus New England opponents.
UConn in Focus
The Huskies will celebrate Senior Night on Wednesday before they take on the Friars at Gampel Pavilion (6:30 p.m., FS1). Senior Night ceremonies will begin at about 6:10 p.m.
Graduate student Joey Calcaterra, seniors Tristen Newton and Nahiem Alleyne, and redshirt junior Richie Springs, as well as four-year team manager Nick DeMarco, will be honored before the game.
Calcaterra, Newton and Alleyne all joined the UConn program just this season, which has reached 20 wins and remain in the Top 25 poll for 15 consecutive weeks.
"To be in the position we're in, win as many games as we have, to be ranked for as long as we have, and to have the resume that we have, these guys had to hit the ground running at a place with very, very high standards," UConn Coach Dan Hurley said. "It's a unique experience to play here – to play in such big games early. Now we have to have them use everything they've learned to help us make a push down the stretch. We win when Nahiem plays well. We win when Tristen plays well."
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